Wear your Seat belt

Look at your watch and see how long one second really is. If you have a stopwatch, try to stop the stopwatch at seven-tenths of a second.
Now that you know how long that is, consider what happens in the first seven-tenths of a second when an automobile traveling 55mph hits a solid object and the driver is not wearing their seat belt and shoulder belt.

In the first tenth of a second, the front bumper and grille collapse.

In the second tenth of a second, the hood crumples, raises and strikes the windshield while the rear wheels are lofted from the ground, still spinning at 55 mph. Simultaneously, the fenders begin wrapping themselves around the object that was just struck by the car. The frame of the car has stopped moving, but the rest of the car is still traveling 55 mph. The driver instinctively stiffens his legs against the crash and they snap at the knee joint.

During the third tenth of a second, the steering wheel starts to disintegrate in the driver's hands and the steering column is aimed at the driver's chest.

The forth tenth of a second finds the first two feet of the car's front end wrecked, the rear moving at 35 mph, but the driver's body still traveling at 55 mph.

In the fifth tenth of a second (a "split second"), the driver is impaled on the steering column and his lungs begin to fill with blood.

In the sixth tenth of a second, the driver's feet are ripped out of his shoes, the brake pedal snaps off and the car frame buckles in the middle. The driver's head smashes into the windshield as the rear wheels fall back to earth.

In the seventh tenth of a second, doors fly open, hinges rip loose and the seats break free, striking the driver from behind. The driver does not feel the seat striking him, because he is already dead!

A lot has happened in less than one second. Think about how long one second is the next time you decide not to wear a seat belt. Think about how long seven-tenths of a second is. Then think how long eternity is.

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From Arizona Department of Public Safety, IT ONLY TAKES A SECOND TO SAY GOODBYE....
This is a side-by-side comparison between wearing and not wearing a seat belt/shoulder belt during a crash measured in 7/10 of a second.

The good news for young drivers appears in this CBC story, "Ontario withdraws passenger restriction on teenage drivers". The new restriction would have meant only one teen passenger for a driver 19 and under, however an online protest took place. Quote: "but it's the passenger restrictions that prompted 150,000 people to join an online protest". The government withdrew that part of the bill. Go there to read the rest.

As always, other provinces look to each other as to what works and what doesn't. So, we may see something similar in some other provinces down the road.

It's summer and motorcycle accidents are taking their toll. Slow down a bit. Your families will miss you otherwise.

Safe driving...

Cheers - Mike

Much has been written or said about cell phone use and the following story says it again.

Distracted driver hits stroller in a crosswalk. He admits he was using a cell phone.
Read more at this page: http://www.ksl.com/?sid=10647204&nid=148

And this story...

Distracted driver killed Alberta teen. An excerpt from the CBC article, "According to the report, a witness said the driver was seen texting on her cellphone as she got out of her car."
"The driver of the passenger vehicle [the Civic] did not even know that she had crushed a landscape worker," the report says. "There were no visible skid marks from the passenger vehicle. This indicated that the passenger vehicle's driver did not attempt to stop before the crash." Here is the CBC article. Here is a link to the Edmonton Journal article.
UPDATE: June 24, 2010 -- Driver pleads guilty to careless driving. See the article here.

Here is an article from Science Daily about another distracted driver study. Here is an excerpt from the webpage. "Human factors researchers test drivers to measure the risks of driving while distracted. The researchers control the environment by adding turns and changing road conditions, all the while measuring the driver’s performance. They use brain wave patterns and heart activity to study the drivers’ attention when behind the wheel."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2008/0104-driver_distraction.htm

Alberta RCMP warn drivers as this article reports.

There are thousands of examples of distracted drivers injuring and killing people. Changing their lives, and those around them, forever.

It is time these kind of preventable accidents stop.

Safe driving...

Cheers - Mike

Did you think about it? Did you change you driving or walking habit in some way? Did you just carry on like nothing happened?

Well, Here is a video of actual driving/pedestrian near-misses. I often wonder how a near-miss affects drivers or passengers or pedestrians. Well, this driver had nightmares afterword. Read the whole news story here. Mark Jespersen was quoted in part, "I had nightmares about it last night," Jesperson said Friday. "Where the accident was, that guy didn't have a hope, coming over a hill. I was blessed to have some reaction time, and that I was paying attention.". The article also said, "He didn't realize how close he had come to tragedy until he learned later the van had slammed into another pickup truck two kilometres down the road, killing the driver.".

http://www.flixxy.com/lucky-day.htm

It doesn't have to be another driver. It could be a very large animal on the highway, as the following report illustrates.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/05/27/moose-near-miss-527.html

Perhaps you won't be lucky all the time - think about it.

Stay aware. Stay focused. Stay safe.

Safe driving...

Cheers - Mike

Did you know:
+ Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death and injury among Alberta's youth.
+ One in five new drivers is involved in a collision in their first two years of driving. The first six months of solo driving are the most dangerous.
+ Parents can set rules for young drivers to reinforce good driving behaviour.
+ Young drivers often overestimate their driving abilities and underestimate the risks of driving.
+ It takes years of driving experience to become a safe driver.

What is Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL)?
+ Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) is a program designed to improve road safety by creating a low risk, controlled environment for all new drivers, regardless of age.
+ The GDL program ensures that the new drivers get the support, skills and experience they need to handle the complex task of driving.
+ GDL programs are proven tools that significantly decrease collision and injury rates of new drivers.

What are the goals of Alberta's GDL program?
+ To reduce collisions, injuries and deaths on Alberta's roads.
+ To reinforce the idea that driving is a privilege, not a right.
+ To foster a generation of safe new drivers through training and mentorship.

During the month of May, if you are between the ages of 16 to 24, visit www.nofunbeingdead.com and enter for a chance to win some amazing prizes!

Safe driving...

Cheers - Mike

Have a look at this video on YouTube showing quite a number of incidents where people have run red lights.

There you are minding your own business and - wham! Now you're a victim.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=-qvXbIenivk

The aftermath is that innocent people get hurt.

Stay aware - try not to let this happen to you.

Safe driving...

Cheers - Mike

The link to the Journal article is here.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/crashes+capital+region+cost+900M+year+study/2906953/story.html

The study for 2007 was commissioned by the Capital Region Intersection Safety Partnership. Gerry Shimko from Edmonton traffic safety is the chairman.

From the article, "The study looked at all crashes that resulted in death, injury or damage in Edmonton and the surrounding communities of Sherwood Park, St. Albert, Stony Plain, Spruce Grove, Fort Saskatchewan, Leduc and Devon."
"It counted 43 fatal crashes, 8,517 that resulted in injuries and 51,822 involving property damage."

Are we any closer to reducing preventable collisions, and the injuries which affect so many during the aftermath?

Safe driving...

Cheers - Mike

The Alberta government introduced Bill 16, the Traffic Safety (Distracted Driving) Amendment Act, 2010 today, proposes a ban on the use of hand-held cell phones and activities like texting, reading, writing, personal grooming, and puts restrictions on using other electronic devices while driving.

For the official announcement, please see the following link:
http://alberta.ca/acn/201004/28137FDF99AA6-A778-EEF5-958459FDA9C231ED.html

The proposed legislation is expected to be debated in the legislature this fall.

The bill proposes a fine of $172 with no demerit points. Drivers engaged in any of the identified activities can be charged under this amendment. A distracted driver could face additional charges if they commit other violations such as running a red light or making an improper lane change.

There will be time for debate and stakeholder input.

Safe Driving...

Cheers - Mike